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Bill

S 226

Skills Week

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Ronnie Cromer

Prohibits advertising cosmetics with harmful ingredients to under-18s and bans using minors’ images/voices; enables AG enforcement, fines, and private suits to curb exposure.

Adopted
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 226

Summary — S.226: "An Act protecting black girls from targeted toxicity"

Note: The header metadata provided with the request (a title about bicycle registration and a committee referral to Transportation) appears inconsistent with the full bill text below. The bill text filed as Senate No. 226 (docket No. 1016) is titled “An Act protecting black girls from targeted toxicity” and concerns advertising of cosmetic products that contain harmful ingredients. This summary addresses the cosmetic-advertising bill contained in the text.

Purpose and intent

The bill seeks to prevent marketing practices that target children (under 18) — in particular Black girls as indicated by the bill title — for cosmetic products that contain ingredients the bill terms “harmful.” It aims to reduce exposure of minors to potentially toxic cosmetic chemicals by restricting certain advertisements and the use of children’s images/voices in ads for such products.

Key provisions

  • Adds Section 190A to Chapter 94 of the General Laws.
  • Definitions:
    • “Advertisement”: any oral, written, graphic or pictorial representation encouraging retail purchase.
    • “Cosmetic product”: items applied to the body to cleanse, beautify, promote attractiveness, or alter appearance; explicitly includes skin‑lightening and hair‑relaxation products and their components.
    • “Harmful ingredients”: a non‑exhaustive list including mercury, parabens, placenta-derived estrogenic chemicals, benzophenone, diethanolamine, nonylphenol, phthalates, talc, and other known endocrine disruptors or chemicals shown to cause damaging health effects (e.g., increased future disease risk).
  • Advertising restrictions:
    • Prohibits making, promoting, or displaying advertisements targeted to persons under 18 for cosmetic products that contain harmful ingredients.
    • Prohibits using the image, voice, or depiction of a person under 18 to promote sale of such cosmetic products.
  • Civil penalties and remedies:
    • Fines: not less than $5,000 for first violation and not less than $10,000 for subsequent violations.
    • Enforcement: the Attorney General (AG) may pursue injunctions, civil penalties, and other relief.
    • Private right of action: an aggrieved person may seek an injunction and either actual monetary loss or statutory damages up to $25,000 (whichever is greater).
  • Rulemaking: AG must promulgate regulations to implement the section.
  • Effective date: 90 days after enactment.

Who would be affected

  • Cosmetic manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, advertising agencies, and any sellers who promote cosmetic products containing the listed or otherwise identified harmful ingredients.
  • Media platforms and publishers carrying targeted ads aimed at minors.
  • Children and families (intended beneficiaries) through reduced targeted advertising exposure.
  • The Attorney General’s office (enforcement and rulemaking responsibilities).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Filed in the Senate (docket No. 1016) on 1/15/2025; introduced 1/23/2025.
  • Committee referrals recorded include Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure (referred 2/27/2025). Multiple hearing scheduling entries list hearings on 10/01/2025 and a favorable committee report and referral to Senate Ways & Means on 11/19/2025.
  • The supplied record also includes duplicate and conflicting entries (e.g., REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION on 1/08/2025) and a mix of sponsors that appear to include federal and state legislators; these inconsistencies should be reconciled with official legislative records for definitive status and sponsorship.

Potential impacts

  • May prompt reformulation of targeted cosmetic product lines (particularly skin‑lightening and hair‑relaxation products) or changes in advertising strategies to avoid targeting minors.
  • Could increase compliance costs for manufacturers/advertisers and create exposure to significant fines and civil litigation.
  • If enforced, may reduce exposure of minors to endocrine‑disrupting and other harmful cosmetic chemicals promoted via targeted marketing.

For definitive legal interpretation, status, and sponsor list, consult the official Massachusetts legislative website and subsequent committee reports or regulatory text produced by the Attorney General.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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